The present invention relates to a safety device for electrical outlets of the type that receive the prongs of a plug of an electrical cord which lead from a connecting electrical appliance. More particularly, the invention is directed to a safety device designed to protect children from electrical shock. The safety device protects against accidental electric shock from both electrical outlets that have or electrical outlets that do not have electrical appliances connected thereto.
Protecting children from the dangers associated with electrical receptacles is not an easy task. Most home electrical outlets are positioned low on the wall and therefore are readily accessible to small children. Since electrical appliance plugs necessarily project outwardly into a room from the wall outlet with the corresponding electrical cord trailing behind, the temptation of children to remove will be omnipresent. For unused electrical outlets the electric prong openings create a danger from the insertion of foreign objects such as hair pins, fingers, toys, scissors or other instruments. A partially removed electrical plug creates a grave danger of electrocution when the prongs are touched by a child.
In an attempt to alleviate some of the dangers, certain devices have been conceived as a measure to discourage children from playing with such electrical outlets or associated electrical appliance plugs. One such device is a plastic plug with a flat face and two male prongs, the entire device being composed of a non-conducting material. This later device is designed to be inserted in an unused electrical outlet to discourage or keep children from putting foreign objects into the female receptacles to avoid electrical shock. One of the limitations of such a device is that children can sometimes pry them out of the outlet and thereby negate its utility. Such insertable devices or plugs can not be used to protect children against prying out an already inserted electrical appliance plug and manipulating it to the partially unplugged position, creating the danger as discussed above.
To protect children from electrical shock from electrical outlets having or not having devices connected thereto, there is needed an inexpensive, easy to use, yet effective device. The device must be inexpensive so people will purchase it. It must be easy to use requiring little or no retrofitting to the electrical outlet. The effectiveness must be sufficient to warrant its use. As a result of the present need, the subject device was conceived.